Antioxidant Properties of Selaginella willdenowii

What is it about?

The key results of the study are: - Aqueous extracts from Selaginella willdenowii have potent antioxidant activity. - Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were consistently higher in leaf extracts compared to stem extracts. - Hot water extraction method on fresh leaves showed up to 5.5-fold increase in Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). - Correlation analysis revealed that total phenolic content is likely a key determinant of radical scavenging and ferric reducing abilities in the leaf extract.

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Photo by Angel Luciano on Unsplash

Photo by Angel Luciano on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The practical implication of this study is that Selaginella willdenowii, a plant used as traditional medicine and vegetable in some Asian countries, has potent antioxidant activity. The aqueous extracts from the leaves have higher total phenolic and flavonoid contents compared to stem extracts. Hot water extraction method on fresh leaves showed up to 5.5-fold increase in Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). This suggests that S.willdenowii can be utilized not only for medicinal purposes but also as a source of dietary antioxidants when consumed as food or vegetables.